


If you need me (I’ll be right there)

by Rosetylars



Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hospitals, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No more tags for spoilers, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: Tim and Steve ended things last summer.Seven months later, Tim is in Sydney for meetings and he gets a phone call... he’s still Steve’s emergency contact, and Steve has just been taken to hospital.
Relationships: Pat Cummins/Mitch Marsh, Tim Paine/Steve Smith
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	If you need me (I’ll be right there)

**Author's Note:**

> AU to the Cricverse.

Tim and Steve had broken up at the end of the last home summer. It had been pretty amicable, but they just couldn’t deal with the stresses of a long distance relationship on top of their differing schedules.

One September afternoon, Tim was in Sydney for some meetings. He found it a bit strange to land in Sydney and get a taxi to a hotel, instead of Steve greeting him at the airport and taking him home.

Pat had offered to pick Tim up, but Tim knew his training loads had been crazy lately, and he didn’t want to put the younger man under more pressure.

Pat did have Tim around for dinner, that night, though, and Tim was surprised to walk through the front door and find one of Mitch’s worn out sandals in the entryway.

Pat saw Tim looking at it. “Mitchy can only wear one shoe, at the moment,” Pat explained.

Tim knew Mitch had injured his ankle, but he didn’t realise he was in Sydney.

“He’s here?” Tim asked, surprised.

Pat nodded, guiding Tim through the house and encouraging him to sit at the kitchen island.

“He can’t train, so we thought he may as well do rehab here where I can help him with day to day stuff. He can’t drive, which doesn’t help,” Pat chuckled.

At that point, Mitch came into the room, and judging by his wet hair, he had obviously been in the shower. “Are you talking about me?” Mitch teased, walking over to greet Tim, struggling a bit with his moon boot.

Tim hugged Mitch, pulling a barstool out for him.

“Yeah, Patty was saying he’s your carer,” Tim teased.

Mitch laughed, and Pat gave him an apologetic look.

“In sickness and in health,” Pat repeated, touching his wedding ring. “Even if those vows didn’t warn me about how needy he was going to be,” he teased.

Mitch rolled his eyes fondly, face breaking into a grin. “The cuddles help with the pain,” he insisted.

“Whatever you say, darling,” Pat chuckled.

***

They made it through dinner without a mention of Steve, but Mitch was the first one to slip up.

“So, Timmy… when are you and Steve getting back together?”

Pat elbowed him in the ribs, and Mitch was immediately apologetic, giving Tim a sheepish look.

“Sorry, Timmy,” Pat added, giving Mitch another stern look.

Tim just shrugged. “We just didn’t work, in the end,” he mumbled, draining the last of his beer bottle.

Pat sighed. “But everything seemed so easy, when you were together,” he said gently.

Tim pulled a face. “Yeah, when we were together. That’s the main part. It was… harder, when we were both home. You boys make distance look a lot easier than it is in reality,” he mused.

Pat and Mitch exchanged a look.

“Do you still love him, Timmy?” Mitch asked.

This time, Pat didn’t elbow him. He was curious to hear Tim’s answer.

Tim considered the question, for a while, picking at the label of his empty bottle. “He’s a very special man. I’ll never be able to look at him and not feel something,” he mumbled.

Mitch inhaled with surprise, and Pat squeezed Mitch’s hand under the table, touched.

“Surely that’s worth fighting for,” Pat said softly.

Tim shrugged, unable to meet their eyes. He had been pushing back his feelings about Steve since they had broken up.

“Maybe one day things will be different,” Tim mused.

***

The next afternoon, Tim was in a meeting with JL and a bunch of other important figures in Australian cricket. The sun was beaming down outside, and Tim couldn’t wait to head down to the beach later.

His phone vibrated on the table, and it was a number he didn’t have saved. He declined the call, apologising to everyone in the meeting for the disturbance.

“They’ll call back if it’s important,” Tim shrugged.

They called back, thirty seconds after the first call.

“Take it, mate, you never know,” JL encouraged.

Tim thanked him with a nod, heading out of the meeting room before answering.

“Tim Paine speaking,” he answered.

It was a female voice on the other end of the phone. “Hi, Timothy, I’m calling you from the hospital, you’re listed as an emergency contact for Steven Smith?”

Tim’s blood turned to ice immediately. “Is he okay?”

“He’s stable,” she replied. “He was admitted about an hour ago. Are you able to come down to be with him?”

“Yeah, I’ll be as quick as I can,” Tim replied, in shock.

She gave him the address and Steve’s room number, and Tim walked back into the meeting room, pale.

JL looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Steve, he’s in hospital, I’ve gotta go,” Tim rushed out, packing up his laptop and shoving it in his bag. “Sorry, guys.”

Everyone was worried for him, and helped Tim pack up.

***

When Tim got to the hospital, the receptionist pointed him in the right direction.

Steve’s door was open, and Tim walked straight in, heart racing.

A nurse was in there with Steve, checking on some readings on a machine by his bed. He looked up when Tim arrived.

“Hello, you must be Timothy? I’m Rob,” the nurse introduced.

Tim nodded, too busy looking at Steve, asleep on the bed, to look at him.

“What happened?” Tim asked.

“From what the paramedics told us, he collapsed at some kind of sports training. He was severely dehydrated, so he’s on a drip now,” Rob explained.

Tim gasped, getting closer to Steve. By pure force of habit, he reached for Steve’s hand - and it was cold.

“He should be waking up soon. Everything looks to be improving. I’ll give you boys some time,” Rob said, leaving the room.

Tim held Steve’s hand, worried sick. How did he get to this point? Did they work him too hard at training?

About fifteen minutes later, Steve blinked awake. He looked around, confused. He tensed up immediately, until his eyes settled on Tim, and he relaxed back down to his pillow.

“Timmy?” Steve croaked.

Tim nodded.

“Am I in hospital?”

“Yeah,” Tim replied. “The nurse said you collapsed with dehydration.”

Steve cringed, rubbing at his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Got a call while I was in a meeting. I’m still your emergency contact,” Tim huffed a wry laugh.

Steve groaned softly. “Sorry for interrupting, Timmy. I promise I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, though,” Tim replied gently. At that point, he realised Steve’s hand was still in his, and neither of them had made any effort to change that.

A thoughtful silence passed between them, until Tim spoke again.

“Did you work yourself too hard?”

“No-“

“Be honest, darling,” Tim added gently.

Steve sighed, sprung. “I haven’t been happy with how balls are coming off my bat. I just wanted a few extra throw downs after training,” he mumbled.

Tim reached out with his spare hand and pushed Steve’s hair off his face. “It sounds like it was a bit more than a few throw downs,” Tim suggested.

Steve gave a half hearted shrug. 

Tim sighed, accepting that Steve wasn’t going to give him any more of an explanation. He looked exhausted, which broke Tim’s heart.

“How long have you been in Sydney?” Steve asked, after a little while.

“Flew in yesterday afternoon,” Tim replied.

Steve frowned. “Where are you staying?” 

“At the Meriton in the city,” Tim replied.

Steve huffed, pouting. “Why aren’t you staying with me?”

Tim pulled a face. “Darling, we split up in February,” he pointed out gently.

“Doesn’t mean you can’t stay over,” Steve pouted. “As a friend,” he added, as an afterthought.

Tim’s heart ached, and he decided not to push that line of conversation.

***

Steve seemed to brighten in the hours following Tim’s arrival, thanks to the drip in his arm. 

They chatted about everything and nothing to pass the time, and at one point, the nurse came in to check Steve’s vitals again, in the middle of a laughing fit.

“You’re looking a lot better,” Rob commented with a smile. He looked to Tim. “You’re magic.”

Tim blushed, surprised. 

“How long have you been together?” Rob asked absently, writing down some numbers as he did.

Tim and Steve exchanged a look.

“We broke up in February,” Steve said, though it came out as a question.

Rob looked between them, raising his eyebrows. “That’s interesting, good luck with that,” he chuckled softly, heading next door to check on the next patient.

***

Tim ended up heading home with Steve when he was discharged later that evening, under strict instruction that Steve was to do nothing exertive.

Tim still knew Steve’s apartment like the back of his hand, and muscle memory helped him settle Steve on the couch with a big bottle of electrolytes.

“I’m honestly fine, Timmy, I don’t know why they called an ambulance,” Steve grimaced, accepting the drink.

“You collapsed, darling. You weren’t okay. You need to take it easy,” Tim insisted.

He took the remote from the coffee table and set the channel to whatever reality show was on tonight, hoping Steve could just relax.

After about twenty minutes, Tim was concerned. Steve hadn’t made one comment for the whole show. He normally couldn’t sit still, but tonight, he had barely moved. Tim looked at him - only to see Steve, curled up in the blanket that Tim had gotten out for him, asleep.

Tim melted, and all of the feelings he’d repressed for so long rushed to the surface.

He loved this idiot. He always had.

He left Steve to rest until the show ended, but when Steve was still sound asleep after that, Tim decided enough was enough. He put an arm under Steve’s thighs, another under his back, and carried him to  ~~ their ~~ his room.

Steve stirred just as Tim had finished pulling the sheets over him.

“Where are you going?” Steve asked sleepily.

“I’ll go sleep in the spare room,” Tim replied. “Don’t want to leave you on your own, tonight.”

Steve frowned. “Stay here,” he mumbled.

“Steve…”

“Please?”

Tim’s resolve cracked. He got into the bed beside Steve, and the action was so familiar that a wave of strong memories hit him.

Steve curled into Tim’s side immediately, and Tim didn’t have the heart to move.

Tim secured Steve in his arms, falling asleep the most easily he had since their last night together.

***

In the morning, Tim woke up with Steve’s head on his chest, Steve still sleeping calmly.

Tim’s heart hadn’t been this full in the seven months since they had broken up.

He closed his eyes once more, hoping that Steve would sleep as long as he could, to help him recover.

Tim managed to doze some more, himself, waking up again when Steve began to stir.

“You’re still here,” Steve mumbled happily, nuzzling his head into Tim’s chest.

Tim thought his heart was going to explode.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he replied. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better than yesterday, but I’ll try to take it easy today at training,” Steve replied.

Tim clucked his tongue. “No way. You’re not training. You need to rest,” he insisted.

Steve pouted, but didn’t protest. “What about you?”

“I have a meeting at one,” Tim replied.

Steve was playing with the collar of Tim’s sleep shirt - it had lived at Steve’s for over a year, and Steve had obviously not gotten rid of it when they broke up.

Maybe that was telling.

“That means we have time to go out for breakfast,” Steve declared, shifting to peck Tim’s cheek before Tim could react.

Steve got out of bed before Tim could even blink.

“I’m having a shower, then we can go,” Steve said, heading out of the room.

“Steven,” Tim called out after him, voice stern.

That captured Steve’s attention. He turned around to look at Tim, eyes wide.

“Have a big glass of water first, please,” Tim suggested.

Steve rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told, a small smile pulling at his lips.

***

After a lovely morning together, Steve insisted on driving Tim to his meeting.

“Promise me you’ll have more water when you get home?” Tim asked, when they arrived out the front.

“Yes, Timmy,” Steve chuckled. 

Steve leant over the centre console, and for one intoxicating moment, Tim thought Steve was going to kiss him. Instead, he left a gentle peck on Tim’s cheek.

Tim’s heart was doing cartwheels.

***

Tim and Steve ended up heading to their old favourite restaurant for dinner, that night. It was all so familiar, and the owner came over to say hello, asking where the pair had been all of this time.

They had just started on their drinks when some familiar faces walked through the door - Pat and Mitch.

Mitch spotted the older boys right away, pointing them out to Pat.

Pat’s jaw dropped, and they walked over to them (or, in Mitch’s case, limped.)

“What’s this?” Pat grinned.

Tim and Steve exchanged a look.

“Dinner,” Steve replied.

“I didn’t know you boys were talking,” Mitch commented.

Tim scratched the back of his head. “It’s… complicated,” he replied.

“Timmy came to me in hospital, yesterday,” Steve added.

Pat raised his eyebrows. “Wait, are you his-“

“Emergency contact,” Tim nodded.

“After all this time,” Mitch marvelled softly. “That’s really sweet.”

Tim’s heart flipped.

“Well, you two enjoy your dinner. We’ll leave you to it,” Pat said, squeezing each of them on the shoulder. He grabbed Mitch’s hand and helped his husband through the restaurant, making sure his ankle was okay.

Tim didn’t know why his stomach was so full of butterflies.

***

After not planning to see Steve at all on this business trip, Tim had pretty much ended up being with him for two full days.

After dinner, Steve invited Tim back to his place. They shared a couple of glasses of whiskey on Steve’s balcony, talking about everything and nothing, just like they used to. 

When the breeze started to pick up, long after sunset, they both headed back inside.

Tim had just placed their whiskey glasses on the kitchen counter when Steve stood beside him.

“I should really get out of your hair, you’ve had a tough couple of days,” Tim said gently, running his hand back through Steve’s hair.

Steve sighed, reaching for Tim and wrapping his arms around Tim’s waist, pulling him in for a tight hug that lingered for a few moments too long.

Steve let out a soft whine into Tim’s collar. “Don’t go, Timmy,” he murmured.

Tim hadn’t expected that, and he paused, putting a bit of space between them so he could meet Steve’s eyes.

“Steve-“

“I can’t let you go. Not again,” Steve whispered.

Tim’s eyed widened, and just as Steve’s meaning clicked in his mind...

Steve crashed their lips together, kissing Tim like it was his last moment on earth.

And Tim kissed him back.

Steve brought a hand up to Tim’s jaw, as if he were trying to stop Tim from leaving. Tim’s hands were splayed either side of Steve’s lean waist, holding him, how he’d wanted to for so long.

Steve tasted like whiskey and home, and Tim finally felt whole again.

When they finally separated, Tim pressed their foreheads together.

“I can’t let you go, Timmy,” Steve repeated. “It’d kill me.”

Tim closed his eyes, breathing deeply to try to calm his racing heart.

“What about the distance?” Tim murmured.

Steve shook his head. “I don’t care. I’ll fly down whenever I can, even if it’s just for a weekend... you’re worth it,” he declared.

Tim searched Steve’s eyes for any sign of hesitation, but there was none. Steve was serious.

Steve took Tim’s silence as apprehension, though, and his face fell.

“Timmy, if you don’t want-“

Tim shook his head urgently, eyes wide. “Darling, are you sure? You were under so much pressure last summer, our relationship didn’t help things-“

“You always help me, Timmy. I haven’t been myself these last seven months. Having you here... I haven’t been this happy since last summer,” Steve admitted.

Tim melted, pressing a chaste kiss to Steve’s lips.

“Do you want to take some time to think about it?” Tim asked. “You were in hospital just yesterday, you’ve had a pretty rough time-“

Steve shook his head. “Timmy, you came to me when I needed you. What kind of ‘ex’ would do that, and how the hell could I ever let you go? I’d be a fool-“

“Darling, I’d travel across the world if you needed me,” Tim said gently.

“You already have,” Steve said gently.

Tim was grinning, now, and he captured Steve’s lips with his own. Now that they had started kissing again, after so long, Tim couldn’t get enough.

When they separated, Steve was chuckling softly.

“All it took for us to fix things was me to work myself into the ground and get taken to hospital,” Steve mused. 

Tim kissed his temple, shaking his head fondly. “Please, never do that again,” he grimaced.

“Please stay?”

“Oh, baby. You’re never getting rid of me again.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this one!


End file.
